ROQUETTE
PEAS AND PROSPERITY Leading the charge in plant-based food production
The future of food production looks awfully bright in Manitoba. The timely arrival of the world’s largest pea-protein plant on a 67-acre site in Portage la Prairie puts Manitoba in a position to be a leader in a plant-based food revolution.
T he Portage pea-protein plant is owned and operated by Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients and a pioneer in manufacturing new plant proteins and pharmaceutical excipients. The 200,000-square-foot facility represents a private investment of more than $600 million by Roquette and, by its very existence, cements Manitoba’s status as a global leader in pea-protein manufacturing.
“Manitoba is perfectly positioned to be the Silicon Valley of plant-based protein,” says Dominique Baumann, CEO for Roquette in Canada. “The province has all the necessary pieces of the puzzle that are needed to create a thriving plant-based industry eco- system that can capitalize on the booming global demand for new sources of protein.” Those puzzle pieces include: Access to raw materials, supportive local governments, a highly educated workforce, clean hydroelectric power and transportation
connectivity to the North American market through rail, air and roads. “It’s all here in Manitoba,” Baumann says. Roquette has been researching and developing plant proteins for more than four decades, while operating in 100 countries worldwide. Despite COVID-related delays last year, the plant welcomed its first delivery of local peas right on schedule on Nov. 18, 2020. Most of the 110 employees who report to the site each day are from Portage or the
Photos courtesy of Roquette
30
SPRING 2021
Powered by FlippingBook